THE Government would "bend over backwards" to help the two "Ukrainian women, deported with their sick children after seeking asylum, to return to Ireland for medical treatment, a Minister has said.
The women were deported nine days ago from Shannon airport after seeking political asylum on the grounds that their government could not guarantee proper medical treatment for two of their children.
One woman said her 14 year old son was suffering from "a cancer related illness as a result of Chernobyl". The Irish Refugee Council said it had "medical documentation" showing that both he and a five year old girl were seriously ill, apparently as a result of the Chernobyl nuclear accident.
The Minister for State for Justice, Ms Joan Burton, has said if the women still wanted to bring their children to Ireland "for medical attention and recuperation" the Government would look at their case "entirely sympathetically".
She said the Departments of Foreign Affairs and Justice in recent years had worked with the Cork based Chernobyl Children's Project to ensure that thousands of children who were victims of Chernobyl should be able to come to Ireland for holidays and medical attention.
The Chernobyl Children's Project director, Ms Adi Roche, confirmed this in a statement last week.
Although Ireland had no direct diplomatic representation in Ukraine, Ms Burton suggested the two women contact the Irish ambassador in Moscow, Mr Ronan Murphy, who had helped others in similar positions.